


(conscious)

by zvous



Category: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-26
Updated: 2015-08-26
Packaged: 2018-04-17 07:45:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4658349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zvous/pseuds/zvous
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a tattoo on everyone that states a phrase your soulmate will tell you. Not always your first words, but you will recognize them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	(conscious)

**Author's Note:**

> i have no reason or excuse.

()

He's reeling, having just had his father's watch taken, him powerless to take it back, all for the sake of a mission. Then Solo says those few words and he knows, a dull line of pain working its way up arm, that Solo is his soulmate. He keeps his face stoic. It need not be acted upon. It can be ignored. A man like Illya Kuryakin will not be dragged down by a man like Napoleon Solo.

()

The words leave Illya's mouth and for a moment the world slows. He'd had his suspicions when Illya had begun referring to him as cowboy, hell, he'd started to believe just so the flutter in his stomach couldn't just be mistaken as lust. But his ribs burn and he blinks to end up in the dark, dark salt water, afloat in a multitude of unknowns. He tries not to think of it, but then there's a fire on the water and a fire in his heart and he's pulling peril out of the murk. He forces life back into his partner and focuses on the mission. A man like Napoleon Solo doesn't just settle down with a man like Illya Kuryakin.

()

Illya has one hand in his jacket and Napoleon acts before he thinks. The watch is sailing through the air and Illya catches it in his hands.

His father's watch glints in the morning sun, a steady unchanged tick tick tick and a [K] engraved on its underside. He's caught it and he knows he can't reach back for his gun, not now.

Illya is entranced by the watch, glancing up after several moments, tremor gone, eyes clear. Napoleon's untucked his shirt and is halfway down the buttons when he opens his mouth.

"'Watch me work, cowboy'," and Napoleon's shirt is open, a familiar Russian scrawl across his right ribcage. Illya says nothing, but puts the watch back on his left arm, and pushes up his sleeve to the elbow.

"'Not very good at this whole subtlety thing, are you?'," Illya's arm is bared and the words are in Napoleon's own casual script. He never looks away from his soulmate's eyes and he grabs the tape from behind him and pulls a lighter from his pants.

"What say you, peril? Let this story have it's end?" And Illya's nodding, a short "Yes," accompanying, and takes several steps forward. He reaches for the lighter and flicks it on as his soulmate holds the blackening tape.

There's an agreement between them, right there along with the smoke. Once the tape is nothing but ashes falling through his hand to the carpet, he brushes past Illya to pick up the glasses he'd poured along with the bottle.

"Care to join me?" Solo has his back to the slightly ajar balcony doors, drinks in his hand. And with the sunrays coming into the room, Solo's eyes on him, and the ending of a conflict opening the path to the beginning of a relationship, Illya meets his eyes.

"Always."

()


End file.
